Badar Khan Suri, an Indian-origin postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University, faces deportation over allegations of promoting Hamas propaganda and having ties to terrorism. Teaching a course on minority rights, Suri’s research focuses on peacebuilding in conflict regions. His academic profile has become restricted amidst ongoing scrutiny.
Badar Khan Suri, an Indian-origin postdoctoral associate at Georgetown University, is currently facing deportation in the United States. He has been teaching a course titled “Majoritarianism and Minority Rights in South Asia.” Mr. Suri originally obtained a US visa to pursue his doctoral research focusing on peacebuilding efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, as stated by a Georgetown University spokesperson.
He was apprehended by “masked agents” outside his residence in Virginia. Reports indicate that he has been accused of disseminating Hamas propaganda and maintaining close ties with presumed terrorists. Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, claims that “Suri was a foreign exchange student at Georgetown University actively spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting antisemitism on social media.”
Furthermore, she asserted that Mr. Suri has close connections with a senior Hamas advisor, and his activities warrant deportation under the INA section 237(a)(4)(C)(i), as indicated in a determination by the Secretary of State on March 15, 2025.
Dr. Badar Khan Suri serves as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University. He completed his PhD in Peace and Conflict Studies from Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, in 2020, where he focused on the challenges of state-building in ethnically diverse societies through his thesis on post-conflict democracy in Afghanistan and Iraq.
As a scholar, Mr. Suri’s research interests include the intersection of religion, violence, and peace, as well as ethnic conflicts and peace processes, particularly within the context of the Middle East and South Asia. Notably, his profile on the Georgetown University website has since been modified to restrict access.
Additionally, Mr. Suri’s wife, Mapheze Saleh, is a first-year student at Georgetown’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies and is a US citizen hailing from Gaza.
In summary, Badar Khan Suri, a postdoctoral researcher at Georgetown University, faces deportation due to allegations of promoting Hamas propaganda and having ties to terrorism. His academic contributions focus on peace and conflict resolution in ethnically diverse regions. Suri’s academic endeavors have drawn attention within the broader context of national security concerns, raising critical questions about academia and free speech.
Original Source: www.ndtv.com
